Barber&#39;s bib.



Ru Bl 'BARBERS BIB. "memo! min saw. 22. 1914.

1,251,127. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

RUTH B. SQUIEB, 0F SCBANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BABBEBS BIB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25,1917.

Application filed September 22, 1914. Serial No. 862,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUTH B. SQUIER, citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a 7

This. invention relates to apparel, and more especially to collarets; and the object of the same is to produce a bib for use by barbers and the like whereby the apron or spread commonly employed upon the customer being shaved or having his hair cut, cannot come into contact with, his neck or his clothing around the neck. As it is intended that the collaret or bib shall be used but once and then washed, it is a thoroughly antiseptic attachment which conforms wit the health oflice requirements in cities where they are most rigidly enforced.

The use of the device as well as its construction are fully explained in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of this bib laid out flat, one end of its uppermost yoke or flap being raised to expose the yoke or flap beneaththis view illustrating the use of a narrow upstandrngcollar but no strings or other fastening device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the collaret or bib in use.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device in use, and Fig. 4 a similar sectional view with the collar omitted, and fastening strings employed. I

The collaret or'bib forming the subject matter of the present invention will be made of cloth, paper, rubber, or any suitable flexible material. The re cities call for rubber, ut by preference I will make the device of fabric and of a cloth which may readily be washed quickly by rinsing it in boiling water. The fastening devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings are strings or tapes at the extremities of the neck-band, which are usually tied together when the barber applies the device to the customer; but I reserve the right to employ any fastening device in place of these strings or tapes, such as a button and button-hole, a hook and eye,

Barbers Bibs;

shoulders of uirements of some a stud and socket,'or the like. The ornamentation of the device will depend to a' considerable ex-' tent upon the material used, for if cloth is employed it may be figured cloth and if paper is employed it may be stamped or printed. The proportions and exact details are of course unimportant. This bib .finds its greatest use in barber-shops which are frequented by the public, and where men come to have their beards shaved or their hair cut or shampooed, one customer following another in rapid succession and for many hours in popular places or times of rush business. Ordinarily the barber puts onto the customer a spread or apron A of considerable size, and ties it around his neck, and it is obvious that if this spread or apron is used more than once, any germs, blood, or dirt which is left on it by one customer is passed along to the next. These conditions prevail, even if the barber ties around the customers neck and over the apron a rubber or other shield as the health departments of some cities now require. More.- over, the weight of the apron causes it to rest with more or less force upon the shoulders of the customer, and if he be wet with perspirationthe apron becomes moist and this moisture is passed along to and to an extent delivered upon the clothing of the succeeding customer.

Coming now to the details of the present invent on, whatever its material the bib comprlses essentially a neck-band 1, a pendant and relatively narrow flap 2 sewed at in some cases integral of sufiicient length its upper edge to or with said neck-band and to morethan reach around the neck of the wearer just beneath his collar-band, and a second pendant and relatively wider flap 3' which might be termed a yoke as it is, preferably of suflicient width to overlie the the wearer and to project at its lower edge beyond the lower edge of the narrow flap 2. This yoke is also stitched at its upper edge to the neck-band 1, is also of a length suflicient to allow it to pass around the neck'of the wearer and overlap at its ends,

and in fact it can be of greater length than the narrow flap 2. As best illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the bib comprises a relatively narrow, upstanding, and preferably flexible collar 4 which is sewed at its lower edge to the neck-band 1 and is free at its upper edge, and in length this soft collar need not be so great as the flaps although that is immaterial. As best illus trated in Fig. 4, each end of the neck-band 1 may be provided with a fastening device, herein shown as a piece of string or tape 5, although as above stated the fastening device could be any means which would answer.

The use of this bib is illustrated in the drawings. The customer takes his seatin the chair and may remove his collar or may leave it on. Ordinarily he removes his coat, and sometimes his vest if he have one. The barber then places this bib around his neck, drawing the neck-band rather closely and securing it by the fastening devices if they be employed, preferably at the back although this is not essential. If this bib have no fastening devices, such as 5, the collar will serve their function and the bib may be held in place by tucking the collar 4 inside the customers collar or collar-band and next to hisneck. If the latter be moist or dirty no harm is done, because the bib, is used but once and is washed before it is used on another customer. In this position of parts the ends of the wide flap or yoke overlap each other, as do the ends of the narrow flap. Such narrow flap is then raised, and the barber places the apron or spread over the customer and draws its upper edge close around his neck, over the yoke 3 and under the flap 2, finally allowing the latter to drop onto the apron. Even if the spread or apron be moist with the perspiration of the previous customer, or quite soiled, it does not come into contact with the present customer at all. It cannot touch his neck, because the neck-band l intervenes between its Upper edge and the flesh; it cannot touch his shirt or his clothing beneath his collarband, because the yoke 3 intervenes; and he cannot put his chin down onto the spread, because the narrow flap 2 intervenes between him and the spread or apron. He is then shaved or barbered in the usual way, after which the barber removes the apron or spread and delivers it to an attendant, and

replaces it with a smaller one while he washes the customers face or combs his hair. After he has left the shop this bib is thrown in the wash, as it is my intention that it shall be carefully laundried before it is used again. However, it is obviously not necessary to wash the apron or spread, and

with due care this-may be used all day.

While I have described the invention as used in barber shops and in comieetion with the barbers apron, it is quite obvious that it has other uses. For instance, it could well be employed by a. dentistor in shops where the face is massaged, and it is quite possible that it could be used in minor cases of surgery. The function of the wider flap or yoke is to underlie the apron and prevent it from touching the patient or customer or his clothing; the function of the narrow flap is to overlie the upper edge of the apron and prevent the customer from touching it, and also to prevent the possibility that hair shall drop inside the apron if the latter should betied rather loosely; and the function of the collar if it be employed is to take the place of the towel now sometimes used by barbers and to also prevent hair from getting into the neck.

If the straps 5 are omitted the collar when tucked in serves also as the means for-fastening the bib to the wearer.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A protecting bib for use by barbers in conjunction with an apron, the same comprising a yoke inside and a flap outside of said apron, both longer than the distance around the wearers neck and having lapping ends, a neck-band united to the upper edges of said yoke and flap above the upper edge of the apron, and means for fastening the neck-band in place.

2. A bib for use by barbers and the like around the wearers neck in conpinction with an apron, said bib comprising a neckband, a relatively narrow flap of a length to reach completely aroundthe wearers neck attached to and hanging from the neck-band and adapted to lie over the apron, a relatively wide yoke longer than the distance around the wearers shoulders attached to and hanging from the'neck-band and adapted to pass beneath said apron, and an upstanding soft collar secured along its lower edge to said neck-band and adapted to be tucked inside the apron around the wearers neck for holdingthe bib in place.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUTH B. SQUIER.

Witnesses:

W. W. Barron, B. F. S UIER. 

